A Vaccine Alone Won’t Stop the Pandemic
Image source: agencies, Staff and. “Coronavirus: Anger in Germany at Report Trump Seeking Exclusive Vaccine Deal.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 16 Mar. 2020, www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/16/not-for-sale-anger-in-germany-at-report-trump-seeking-exclusive-coronavirus-vaccine-deal.
Written by Andrew Liu
According to the latest reports from the World Health Organization, at least 89 COVID-19 vaccines are in active development, and that number will only rise in the coming months. At the moment, the urgent task at hand is to actually develop and test a working vaccine, then get it approved by the WHO and the health ministries of different countries. Most experts agree that this work will be done by mid-2021. However, there is another big concern after this all happens.
The concerning matter isn’t whether or not a vaccine will be developed—it will be. The concern is that richer nations will buy up the supply for their own use or prevent exports of domestically produced vaccines in order to create a stockpile for their own citizens. Another concern—especially with the current corporate-dominated political sphere in most countries—is that manufacturers might restrict sales to the highest bidder.
Worryingly, these concerns are already appearing to manifest. In fact, in March of this year, Germany’s economy minister Peter Altmaier told the German Welt am Sonntag newspaper that US President Donald Trump “offered a German medical company “large sums of money” for exclusive rights to a Covid-19 vaccine”. According to the newspaper, President Trump offered $1bn to Tübingen-based biopharmaceutical company CureVac to secure the vaccine “only for the United States”. In retaliation, the German government reportedly offered its own financial incentives for the vaccine to stay in the country.
In an effort to combat this problematic possibility, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) is working to ensure equal access to all COVID-19 vaccines. In fact, it encouraged the health ministers of all G20 nations to accelerate the development, manufacturing and most importantly, the equitable distribution of vaccines against the coronavirus at its April 19 meeting. Furthermore, just last Friday, more than 15 heads of state, the president of the European Union, and the director general of the World Health Organization all committed to join together to do the same.
Combatting the COVID-19 pandemic means developing a vaccine and getting the world back to work, but that also means ensuring that affordability and accessibility are equal across all countries. Only by protecting everyone at risk will we end this outbreak and respond effectively to future outbreaks. The fight against COVID-19 continues across the world, and when we win, everyone everywhere should come out on top.
According to the latest reports from the World Health Organization, at least 89 COVID-19 vaccines are in active development, and that number will only rise in the coming months. At the moment, the urgent task at hand is to actually develop and test a working vaccine, then get it approved by the WHO and the health ministries of different countries. Most experts agree that this work will be done by mid-2021. However, there is another big concern after this all happens.
The concerning matter isn’t whether or not a vaccine will be developed—it will be. The concern is that richer nations will buy up the supply for their own use or prevent exports of domestically produced vaccines in order to create a stockpile for their own citizens. Another concern—especially with the current corporate-dominated political sphere in most countries—is that manufacturers might restrict sales to the highest bidder.
Worryingly, these concerns are already appearing to manifest. In fact, in March of this year, Germany’s economy minister Peter Altmaier told the German Welt am Sonntag newspaper that US President Donald Trump “offered a German medical company “large sums of money” for exclusive rights to a Covid-19 vaccine”. According to the newspaper, President Trump offered $1bn to Tübingen-based biopharmaceutical company CureVac to secure the vaccine “only for the United States”. In retaliation, the German government reportedly offered its own financial incentives for the vaccine to stay in the country.
In an effort to combat this problematic possibility, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) is working to ensure equal access to all COVID-19 vaccines. In fact, it encouraged the health ministers of all G20 nations to accelerate the development, manufacturing and most importantly, the equitable distribution of vaccines against the coronavirus at its April 19 meeting. Furthermore, just last Friday, more than 15 heads of state, the president of the European Union, and the director general of the World Health Organization all committed to join together to do the same.
Combatting the COVID-19 pandemic means developing a vaccine and getting the world back to work, but that also means ensuring that affordability and accessibility are equal across all countries. Only by protecting everyone at risk will we end this outbreak and respond effectively to future outbreaks. The fight against COVID-19 continues across the world, and when we win, everyone everywhere should come out on top.
Works cited
- agencies, Staff and. “Coronavirus: Anger in Germany at Report Trump Seeking Exclusive Vaccine Deal.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 16 Mar. 2020, www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/16/not-for-sale-anger-in-germany-at-report-trump-seeking-exclusive-coronavirus-vaccine-deal.
- “Global Leaders Unite to Ensure Everyone Everywhere Can Access New Vaccines, Tests and Treatments for COVID-19.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, www.who.int/news-room/detail/24-04-2020-global-leaders-unite-to-ensure-everyone-everywhere-can-access-new-vaccines-tests-and-treatments-for-covid-19.
- “New Vaccines For A Safer World.” CEPI, 8 Apr. 2020, cepi.net/.